History is the cement which holds together all the subjects of the curriculum because the story of the past is the measure of human development in the present. We believe that history not only provides us with a body of knowledge concerning the past but it also provides us with a way of thinking which the child, in the future, will apply to modern problems. We place great emphasis on teaching the skills of enquiry in regard to evidence, assessing its reliability and relevance, and applying it to reasoned judgement in order to give a logical account and explanation.

All children will:

be taught about and investigate important episodes and developments in Britain's past, from the Stone Age

to modern times, about ancient civilisations, local history and the history of other parts of the world

be helped to develop a chronological framework by making links across the different study units

have the opportunity to learn about the past from a range of sources of information

develop an awareness of the past and discover that we can find out about it by examining evidence from a variety of sources

acquire knowledge and understanding of the lives of the specific peoples under study.

KS.2 History Programme of Study

Rationale:

The eight units have been spread out evenly over the four years of KS.2, deliberately leaving the middle term of each year free. This gives teachers a choice, either to continue the previous term's study, start the next term's early or plan it as a non-history teaching term.

The British study units have been planned in chronological order: Pre-History, Romans, Anglo-Saxons (before Alfred the Great), Anglo-Saxons (struggles), and a study of British history after 1066.

The local history study has been incorporated with two of the British history units.

The 'open British history study' is at the end of Year 6 because it makes sense chronologically and because it gives Year 6 teachers the flexibility to plan in and around the SATs.

The three 'non-British' units have been mapped with the Ancient Egyptians first, chronologically this makes sense; it also makes sense for other reasons:

The cultural 'story' of Ancient Egypt revolves around the myth of the weighing of the heart and the legend of Seth and Osiris. These are both accessible to children of Year 4.

The iconography of wall paintings and hieroglyphics seems to hold a fascination with young children and along with the pantheon of Egyptian Gods seems more accessible than their Ancient Greek counter-parts.

The history study of Ancient Greece is focused on the achievements and influences of it's great thinkers, architects, and story-tellers. These (it could be argued) are a much more demanding subjects and probably better understood by older children.

Year 3

Year 4

Year 5

Year 6

Changes in Britain from the Stone Age to the Iron AgeThis could include:

Roman withdrawal from Britain in c. AD 410 and the fall of the western Roman Empire

Scots invasions from Ireland to north Britain (now Scotland)

Anglo-Saxon invasions, settlements and kingdoms: place names and village life

Anglo-Saxon art and culture

Christian conversion – Canterbury, Iona and Lindisfarne

Viking and Anglo-Saxon struggle for the Kingdom of England to the time of Edward the ConfessorThis could include:

Viking raids and invasion

resistance by Alfred the Great and Athelstan, first king of England - further Viking invasions and Danegeld

Anglo-Saxon laws and justice

Edward the Confessor and his death in 1066

A non-European society - one study chosen from:

Early Islamic civilization, c. AD 900;

Mayan civilization c. AD 900;

Benin c. AD 900-1300.

Roman Empire and its impact on Britain This could include:

Julius Caesar's attempted invasion in 55-54 BC

the Roman Empire by AD 42 and the power of its army

successful invasion by Claudius and conquest, including Hadrian's Wall

British resistance, e.g. Boudica

"Romanisation" of Britain: sites such as Caerwent and the impact of technology, culture and beliefs, including early Christianity

Local History: St Albans visit

The achievements of the earliest civilizations – an overview of where and when the first civilizations appeared and a depth study of one of the following: Ancient Sumer; The Indus Valley; Ancient Egypt; The Shang Dynasty of Ancient China

Ancient Greece – a study of Greek life and achievements and their influence on the western world

A study of an aspect or theme in British history extends chronological knowledge beyond 1066 For example:

the changing power of monarchs using case studies such as John, Anne & Victoria

changes in an aspect of social history, such as crime and punishment from the Anglo-Saxons to the present or leisure and entertainment in the C.20th

the legacy of Greek or Roman culture (art, architecture or literature) on later periods in British history, including the present day

a significant turning point in British history, e.g. the first railways or the Battle of Britain

You may be aware that from 25th May 2018, the new 'General Data Protection Regulations' (GDPR) came into force. We have updated our Privacy Notice to reflect the new requirements. We encourage you to view the full Privacy Notice here.